Mass fish death worries Bình Thuận

More than 7,000 cobia fish, kept in floating cages in Vĩnh Tân Commune, had died as of March 21, causing losses worth billions of dong to the people. — Photo vov.vn

BÌNH THUẬN (VNS) –– More than 7,000 cobia fish, kept in floating cages in Vĩnh Tân Commune in the central Bình Thuận Province’s Tuy Phong District, had died as of March 21.

The mass death has been occurring since March 12, when more than 4,000 fish died.

Most of the fish, weighing about 0.8kg to 1.1kg, had been bred a month ago. The mass death has caused losses worth billions of dong to the local people.

Lộc, a fish farmer, said his family’s 2,000 cobia fish had died, causing him a loss of VNĐ300 million (US$13,300).

It is the fourth time mass fish death has been reported in Vĩnh Tân Commune. The first such instance occurred in September last year, while the second and third instances occurred in October last year and January this year, respectively.

The fish farmers blame the Vĩnh Tân Thermoelectric Plant for polluting the water with wastewater, because the mass death of fish has occurred near the plant. But the local authorities have not reached any specific conclusion as to the cause. –– VNS